PODCAST · business
Freeformers Unplugged
by Toby Kheng
Every week Toby Kheng and Emilie Forrest dive into the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the world of work. From rethinking employee experience and organisational culture to exploring innovative strategies for leadership and learning, they bring fresh perspectives, actionable insights, and a touch of humour to each session.Whether you're a seasoned HR professional, a forward-thinking leader, or simply curious about what’s next in the workplace, this is your chance to connect, learn, and be inspired.
Episodes
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AI Adoption Isn't AI Training: Why Policies and Skills Aren't Enough
Everyone's talking about AI adoption. But how do we know whether it's actually happening? Your employees have completed their AI training. They've signed the AI policy. You've rolled out the tools. So why isn't everyone using them? In this episode of Freeformers Unplugged, Toby Kheng and Emilie...
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What Employee Data Tells Us — and What It Misses
In this episode of Freeformers Unplugged, Toby, Emilie and Gavin explore the limits of employee engagement data, what surveys and dashboards can miss, and why understanding what really happens inside organisations matters.
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Human-centred design without the Post-it notes
Human-centred design is supposed to start with people, not a wall full of sticky notes. In this episode of Freeformers Unplugged, Toby Kheng and Emilie Forrest unpack what discovery is really for, why so much employee research collapses into generic pain points, and why the most useful thing HR…
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Into the Burnhamverse
Toby Kheng and Emilie Forrest explore what leaders can learn from Andy Burnham’s communication style, social media presence and habit of working out loud. From authenticity and relevance to the very serious business of pub snacks, this episode asks what makes public communication actually connect.
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We’ve had enough of HR & L&D conferences. So we’re making our own.
We’re officially launching InsightCon 2027. On 18 March 2027, we’re bringing 100 HR and L&D leaders together in London for an event built around a simple idea: if we want to design better workplaces, we need to get much better at listening to the people actually experiencing them. Instead of four...
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Season 2, Episode 5: Headcount to Heartcount – The Commerciality-to-Humanity Scale
Is it possible to care about people and still run a profitable business? In this episode, Toby reunites with Emilie Forrest to explore their new framework: the Commerciality-to-Humanity Scale. It’s not just another feel-good model—it’s a radical rethinking of what leadership balance looks like....
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Season 2, Episode 4: Uncovering the Real Stories Behind Employee Insight
Surveys are out. Stories are in. In this episode, Toby sits down with Dib Rakshit and Sonia Moore to unpack why traditional employee insight tools are fundamentally flawed—and what’s emerging in their place. From AI-powered management tools to adaptive leadership coaching, this conversation dives...
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Season 2, Episode 3: Why Culture Needs a Crush – Smashing the Old Work Norm
Get ready to bring your wrecking ball to work. In this episode, Toby is joined by Dan Dowman as they smash through outdated cultural norms that shackle innovation and suffocate authenticity. From HR’s obsession with conformity to the corporate addiction to bland sameness, they break down why...
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Season 2, Episode 2: From philosophy to practice: making human-centred leadership real
In this episode of Freeformers Unplugged, Toby Kheng is joined by leadership strategist and former senior police officer Kul Mahay for a raw and reflective conversation about what it really means to lead with empathy. Together, they explore the emotional weight of leadership, challenge outdated...
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Season 2, Episode 1: Cheeseheads, change-makers, and challengers: DisruptHR Green Bay preview
Toby Kheng is joined by DisruptHR legend Calli for a special preview of DisruptHR Green Bay. From Packers fandom and the story behind how a UK-based HR rebel ended up running an event in Wisconsin, to the power of the Ignite talk format and why this year’s theme — Resist — couldn’t be more…
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Season 1, Finale: Freeformers conversation cards – unlocking better employee experiences
This week, Toby and Emilie bring back one of their favourite Freeformers tools – the 'What If' conversation cards. Originally designed to spark deeper, more human conversations in the workplace, the cards prompt bold questions like: What if we didn’t recruit based on experience? What if we had to...
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Season 1, Episode 10: Accessibility isn’t an add-on – it’s the unlock to true diversity
In this episode of Freeformers Unplugged, Toby Kheng and Emilie Forrest tackle a topic that should be at the heart of every diversity and inclusion strategy: accessibility. But rather than treating it as an afterthought, they argue that accessibility isn’t just about compliance or ticking a...
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Season 1, Episode 9: A skills-based future: why HR & L&D must rethink its own model first
HR and L&D are leading the charge for skills-based organisations—but have they applied the same thinking to themselves? In this episode of Freeformers Unplugged, Toby Kheng is joined by Calli Adamson Bakken to challenge the hypocrisy of HR’s skills agenda and explore why our own function must...
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Season 1, Episode 8: HR’s AI wake-up call: Adapt or get replaced
AI is moving fast—HR can’t afford to lag behind. In this episode of Freeformers Unplugged, Toby and Emilie tackle the pressing issue of AI adoption in HR. With AI evolving at an unprecedented pace, HR teams risk being left behind if they don’t start integrating AI into their workflows. Key topics...
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Season 1, Episode 7: Beyond Glassdoor: The real value of employee advocacy
Most HR teams treat an employee leaving as the end of their journey—but in reality, it’s the start of your most valuable HR output: advocacy. Just like marketing focuses on creating loyal customers, HR should be focusing on turning ex-employees into lifelong brand advocates. Beyond Glassdoor...
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Season 1, Episode 6: HR’s data problem: Why you’re measuring the wrong things
HR platforms—LMS, benefits, performance tools—all generate their own insights, but they only tell you how users engage with that platform, not the real employee experience. If your data ecosystem is fragmented, you’re not measuring impact—you’re just validating vendor existence. In this episode…
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Season 1, Episode 5: You’re not designing for learners—why human-centred learning is a dead end
Human-centred design in learning sounds like the right approach—gathering insights and tailoring solutions to employees’ pains and gains. But is it just a well-intentioned distraction? Too often, L&D teams focus on what employees say they want as learners rather than what actually drives business...
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Season 1, Episode 4: Psychometric Tests: The HR Horoscope We Pretend Is Science
Are psychometric tests a valuable workplace tool or just corporate astrology wrapped in a PDF? In this episode of Freeformers Unplugged, Toby Kheng and Emilie Forrest take a deep dive into the world of personality profiling, aptitude tests, and the sometimes questionable ways organizations use...
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Season 1, Episode 3: Rethinking probation: from proving to partnering in the first 90 days
Probation is often treated as a one-way test, where employees must prove their worth in the first few months—but what if it was a true two-way trial? In this live stream, we’ll explore how organisations can rethink probation as a structured, mutual process that benefits both employees and...
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Season 1, Episode 2: From BrewDog to blind spots: Leadership that fails employees
BrewDog founder James Watt and fiancée Georgia Toffolo recently promoted "work-life integration" over "work-life balance," suggesting the latter reflects a lack of work orientation. Watt stated, "Work-life balance was invented by people who hate the work they do." This sparked backlash, with...
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Season 1, Episode 1: The Zuckerberg guide to Employee Experience: Kill DEI and call it progress
Emilie and Toby are kicking off 2025 with Freeformers Unplugged, a weekly live stream where they dive into open, candid, and sometimes spicy conversations about employee experience. They're not afraid to tackle the tough topics others shy away from—conversations about breaking free from outdated...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Every week Toby Kheng and Emilie Forrest dive into the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the world of work. From rethinking employee experience and organisational culture to exploring innovative strategies for leadership and learning, they bring fresh perspectives, actionable insights, and a touch of humour to each session.Whether you're a seasoned HR professional, a forward-thinking leader, or simply curious about what’s next in the workplace, this is your chance to connect, learn, and be inspired.
HOSTED BY
Toby Kheng
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Freeformers Unplugged have?
Freeformers Unplugged currently has 21 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Freeformers Unplugged about?
Every week Toby Kheng and Emilie Forrest dive into the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the world of work. From rethinking employee experience and organisational culture to exploring innovative strategies for leadership and learning, they bring fresh perspectives, actionable...
How often does Freeformers Unplugged release new episodes?
Freeformers Unplugged has 21 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Freeformers Unplugged?
You can listen to Freeformers Unplugged on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Freeformers Unplugged?
Freeformers Unplugged is created and hosted by Toby Kheng.
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